In an article in The Baltimore Sun March 10, "$300,000 textbooks 'a mistake,'" we learn that administrators acknowledge that they failed to follow purchasing rules for the desk reference. Later in the article a teacher says, "I don't honestly know what I was supposed to do with it. I think the funds that were used for this probably could have been used for something much more beneficial."

So rules were not followed in ordering books that were not wanted or apparently needed. Then we learn that the purchase was made at the request of the assistant to the superintendent, Barbara Dezmon. The same person who developed the new grading system that the district administration tried to force teachers to use but had to abandon after all of the complaints from teachers and parents. She says she plans to market the grading program to other school systems upon her retirement. It seems to be a lot of money involved. With all of the budget problems facing Baltimore County, it might be that we cannot afford to keep Barbara Dezmon employed by the school system.

David Gosey, Towson

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